The Eagle and Swan Nebulasin Mapped Color

About This Photograph

The Eagle and Swan nebulae are two star-forming regions straddling the constellations Sagittarius and Serpens Cauda (the "Tail of the Serpent"). In this image, a special filters were used to isolate the light emitted by sulphur, hydrogen and oxygen atoms, which are energized by the bright young stars within the nebulae. Red color represents sulphur emission, green indicates hydrogen, and blue signifies oxygen.